Saeed came awake with the setting sun. Dry heat scorched his throat and panic choked the air from his lungs as the unfamiliar surroundings of his Seattle penthouse came into focus. He clawed at his chest as a deep, hollow ache opened up inside of him. An ache that should’ve been banished the moment he laid eyes on his mate.
Gods, why had he not been tethered?
It was impossible. Inconceivable. And he had no explanation for it. By all rights, Cerys’s inability to tether him should’ve been a clear indicator that her soul had failed to anchor his. Saeed refused to believe that truth, however. He refused to believe anyone other than the beautiful fae would tether him.
The myriad voices of the Collective pushed at Saeed’s consciousness. He pressed the heels of his palms to his temples and clenched his jaw. His fangs pricked his bottom lip and his tongue flicked out to swipe the blood away. Cerys’s blood had called to him. Her scent had beckoned him like no other’s. Only his mate could have accomplished such a feat. There had to be an explanation as to why his soul hadn’t been tethered, and Saeed planned to get to the bottom of it.
The low, pleasant tone of his doorbell went off, and Saeed let out a groan as he pushed himself up from the bed. He pulled on a pair of loose workout pants and padded through the bedroom to the front door. The doorbell rang again, this time more insistent. He’d show whoever was on the other side how he felt about being rushed.
He pulled open the door with a jerk, lip pulled back in an angry snarl. The growl that rose in his chest died in an instant as he came face-to-face with Cerys.
A smirk tugged at her full lips as she placed a hand on her cocked hip. Her light eyes raked him from his toes to his head before she fixed a disinterested expression on her lovely face. “Rin wants to see you.”
Right down to business. Saeed expected nothing less. He propped one arm high above his head on the door jam and leaned on it as he adopted an equally disinterested posture. He could play her game, and play it better. “So he sent you here promptly at sundown to fetch me?”
“Rin doesn’t like to be kept waiting,” she replied without inflection.
“I don’t doubt it. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to jump every time he snaps his fingers.”
She cocked a brow. “You should’ve thought of that before you asked him for a job.”
She’d grown colder over the years. Saeed might not have known her, but he’d learned much about her through the Collective. There was a hardness to her that hadn’t been there before and disappointment welled within him that he hadn’t been able to experience that softer, more vulnerable side of her.
It had been a week since Saeed had struck his bargain with Rin in the dark back corner of the club. A week of longing. A week of unfulfilled want. A week of questions he couldn’t answer. A week of gnawing thirst. His heart barely beat, his lungs barely moved with breath. He hadn’t eaten in two days and could no longer stomach even water. The only thing that would sate him now was blood. Her blood. And her sweet, inviting scent and proximity to him made her a temptation almost too great to resist.
Cerys’s brow furrowed. The hand that rested on her hip twitched and she gripped herself harder as though resisting the urge to reach out. “Hey.” The slightest concern flavored her tone, momentarily banishing the hardness that made her seem so cold and unfeeling. “Are you okay? You’re not gonna pass out on me are you?”
Saeed swayed on his feet. There was no point in lying to her. “I haven’t fed in two weeks.” The admission was harder than he’d thought it would be to make.
She fixed him with an appraising stare. “Are you really as crazy as everyone says you are?”
Saeed let out a rueful bark of laughter. Crazy. How banal. Had she called him mad there would have at least been an elegant ring to it. The way she made it sound, he might as well be wearing a straitjacket.
“I wouldn’t know,” Saeed replied without humor. “I rarely concern myself with what others say about me.”
Cerys cocked her head to one side as she studied him. Saeed watched her, taken aback by the emptiness of her expression. As though she wanted to conjure some form of emotion, anything, but came up empty. “Well, I never pass up an opportunity for a meal, or a snack, so you must be crazy.”
Saeed’s fangs throbbed in his gums. “I’m afraid my tastes are a little more discerning than yours.”
A slow smile spread across her lips. He liked that she was good-natured enough not to take offense. “Oh yeah?” she asked. “What’s your poison then? Dhampirs? I know you rarely feed from anyone other than your own kind. Bet you’re rethinking that whole leaving your coven behind thing, huh?”
“Fae,” Saeed said. Not exactly the truth, but not a lie either.
Cerys’s jaw hung slack. She recovered quickly and hid her astonishment once again behind a mask of passivity. She let out a soft snort. “Good one.”
Saeed allowed his smile to grow, showcasing the points of his dual fangs. His gaze didn’t waver as his eyes met hers and held them. “Do I look like I’m kidding?”
Cerys’s heart fluttered, sending the blood in a rush through her veins. The sound was as sweet as gentle music to Saeed’s ears. His eyes drifted shut for the barest moment and it took an actual effort to open them again.
Her gaze narrowed and her jaw took on a determined set. She stepped past Saeed, into the penthouse and he closed the door behind her. He inhaled through his nose, anticipating the scent of her fear. The air around her didn’t sour, but instead sweetened with her passage as though the prospect of having him feed from her excited her. Brave. Fierce. Daring.
Mine. Saeed didn’t need a tether to tell him that.
She tugged at the snap that secured a wide leather cuff bracelet around her wrist. It came loose and she pulled it free before thrusting her arm out at him. “Go ahead,” she dared him. “Two weeks is a long damned time to go without a meal.”
She thought to bait him. To antagonize him. To watch with smug satisfaction as he backed down. Instead, Saeed’s hand shot out in a blur of motion as he seized her by the wrist and hauled her against his body. Her quiet gasp of surprise only goaded him and he bit down on her tender flesh without preamble. The skin gave way beneath the pressure of his razor-sharp fangs and an indulgent moan worked its way up Saeed’s throat as the first taste of her blood washed over his tongue.
Just as he suspected, the taste of her had no equal. With each strong pull of his mouth, a rush of power flooded him. It wouldn’t have been possible from anyone other than his mate, solidifying Saeed’s faith that Cerys had been meant for him.
“Stop.”
Her breathy plea nearly fell on deaf ears. Saeed was so caught up in the moment, lost to the frenzy of feeding, her scent, her taste, that the thought of disengaging his fangs from her tender flesh seemed nearly impossible.
“Stop.”
She issued the command with more force. Her scent did sour this time, the barest hint of fear beneath her floral perfume. Saeed disengaged his fangs and swiped his tongue over the punctures to close them before releasing his hold on her wrist. Cerys pulled away as though burned. She cradled her left wrist in her right hand and gently smoothed her thumb over the spot where Saeed’s mouth had just been. A dark scowl passed over her features as she took a cautious step back. She might’ve been upset with him for taking the liberty, but she needed to learn sooner rather than later that Saeed never backed down from a challenge.
Saeed’s tongue flicked out at his bottom lip as he swiped away the last remaining drops of Cerys’s blood. He smiled. His mind hadn’t been so clear in months. “You offered,” he said without apology.
She had the audacity to look shocked. “I didn’t think you’d actually take me up on it.”
Lie. She had to know he could smell it. “You absolutely did,” he countered. “You simply hadn’t counted on enjoying it.”
Her jaw hung slack. Saeed enjoyed curtailing her stoicism and anger that seemed to boil just under the surface of her composure. Her chin bucked. If it was possible, she was even more beautiful in her indignation.
“Rin expects you in thirty minutes.” She fixed him with a hard stare. “I advise punctuality.”
Without another word, Cerys turned. She yanked open the door and strode out into the hallway. Saeed took a moment to admire the curve of her hips and the sway of her shapely ass before the door closed behind her and shut her from his view.
It had been centuries since Saeed had been presented with such a challenge. And he welcomed it with open arms.
* * *
Arrogant vampire!
Cerys’s jaw clenched as she strode angrily through the foyer and stepped into the elevator. She snapped the leather cuff back into place, hoping it would banish the sensation that lingered on her skin. She could practically feel the heat of Saeed’s mouth on her, the sting of his fangs as they broke the skin. A pleasant shiver raced down her spine and she forced the sensation away.
You simply hadn’t counted on enjoying it.
A frustrated growl worked its way up Cerys’s throat. Of course it had felt good! A vampire bite wasn’t exactly painful. On the contrary, it flooded the receiver with warmth and gave them a nice little buzz. It wasn’t as though Cerys had never experienced it before. Rin had, after all, kept the company of vampires for centuries before their near extinction. Saeed’s bite had been especially pleasurable but it could have been that she’d simply forgotten what it felt like.
Yeah, sure. You practically swooned.
She let out another groan. It had been stupid to bait Saeed. She’d known he wouldn’t back down from the challenge, and part of her hadn’t wanted him to. Something about the vampire intrigued her and made her feel reckless. Or perhaps the monotony of soullessness had finally gotten to her. The gods knew she was looking for any escape she could find.
She reached out to push the button for the ground floor. The elevator doors slid silently shut and the car lurched as it began its descent. Cerys’s heart still beat a little too quickly and her breath came in gentle pants. Rin would shit a brick if he found out what happened here tonight and she could only hope Saeed would keep his mouth shut. He’d learn soon enough why no one fucked with Rin.
The vampire had made his bed. Cerys still couldn’t understand why anyone would enter willingly into a relationship of any kind with Rin. The male was as selfish and ruthless as they came. He’d exploit his own grandmother for a buck. Cerys snorted. Hell, he probably had. Then again, it was more likely someone like Rin had sprouted from the depths of hell rather than someone’s loins. Did it really matter? Rin had Cerys under his thumb and no amount of speculation in regards to his origin or nature was going to change that.
Cerys stepped out of the elevator into the lobby to find Saeed seated on a couch waiting for her. He’d obviously dressed and flown down the stairs with his vampiric speed. Show off. She strode past him without so much as a glance. He stood and sauntered after her as though they had all the time in the world.
“You handle all of Rin’s business, then?”
A finger of heat stroked up Cerys’s spine. She threw her shoulders back and kept her posture straight as she stepped out of the building and into the crisp spring air. The timbre of his voice was an almost tangible thing that affected her much more than it should. “I handle whatever he wants me to,” she replied.
Saeed stopped dead in his tracks. Cerys turned to face him, brow arched curiously. The vampire’s expression grew dark. Dangerous. His lip curled back in a sneer to reveal the razor sharp points of his fangs, and Cerys shivered at the memory of what it felt like to have them pierce her skin.
“Is that so?”
His grim tone set off alarm bells. There was a possessive edge to his words that made Cerys’s stomach curl into a tight knot. She looked away, unable to meet his dark gaze for another second. “I’m his property,” she said, low. “I do what I’m told.”
She turned and continued down the sidewalk to where their driver waited with the car. After a moment, the sound of Saeed’s footsteps echoed behind her. She had no idea what had set the vampire off, but whatever it was he’d better get the hell over it before they got back to Rin. They reached the car, a sleek Lexus GX. Cerys opened the door and waited for Saeed to get in before climbing into the back seat beside him.
The driver pulled out into traffic and a few moments of companionable silence passed. Cerys expected it to be more awkward, especially considering she couldn’t quit thinking about his mouth on her. Saeed seemed to be less affected. He sat beside her, calm, his gaze cast straight ahead.
“Why did you really come to Rin?” It had been something that plagued her over the past week since she’d first laid eyes on the vampire. No one willingly entered into an agreement of any kind with mages as powerful—or as vindictive—as Rin. Saeed had to know he was in way over his head.
“I told you.” He didn’t turn to look at her. Barely acknowledged her. “The vampires’ numbers are growing, and I wanted out from beneath Mikhail Aristov’s thumb.”
Cerys let out a chuff of laughter. “You do realize you’ve jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, right?” She didn’t know Aristov, had heard very little about the reclusive vampire king, but there was no way he was worse than Rin.
“That depends on your perspective,” Saeed replied. He turned to look through the window at the traffic passing by. “Mikhail had nothing more to offer me.”
Cerys found herself wanting him to turn toward her so she could once again look into the depths of his fathomless eyes. “And Rin does?” she ventured.
Saeed turned toward her. Her breath caught as he bestowed his full attention on her. “He does,” Saeed assured her. “And I’m not leaving the city until I get what I want.”
“Oh yeah?” Cerys asked. That his time in Seattle might be short-lived caused a ghost of emotion to tug at Cerys’s chest. “What is it that you want?”
Bright silver flashed in Saeed’s eyes. “You.”
Um … what? Cerys stared at him, stunned. She had to have heard him wrong. “I’m sorry?”
“You heard me.” His voice bore not an ounce of humor. “I came here for you.”
The car pulled up to the curb in front of Crimson. Cerys opened her mouth to demand Saeed explain himself, but before she could get the words out of her mouth, he climbed out of the car and headed into the club. She watched him walk away, his rolling, predatory gait hypnotizing in its graceful fluidity. He’d come here for her.
Why?
Their driver got out and rounded the car to open Cerys’s door for her. Her actions were mechanical as she climbed out of the Lexus. Some small shred of common sense invaded her brain as her preservation instinct kicked in. She drew her dagger from the sheath at her hip and tucked it beneath the driver’s chin. “Not a word,” she warned.
She wouldn’t put it past the male, a rogue werewolf who’d sought out Rin’s protection, to divulge the details of her conversation with Saeed in order to get a leg up in Rin’s organization. She’d cut his throat herself before she let that happen.
The male gave a nervous nod. “I didn’t hear anything,” he said. “I was listening to the radio, didn’t even realize you two were talking.”
“Good.” She tucked her dagger back into the sheath. “Be sure it stays that way.”
Rin was dangerous, but mostly because he had Cerys at his side. There wasn’t a supernatural creature in the city that didn’t respect her personal bubble of space whenever she walked toward them. She’d gotten used to it over the centuries: the fear, the suspicion, the outright hostility. Maybe this was the perfect place for her, doing Rin’s dirty work while he reaped the fruits of her labor.
Cerys was fairly confident she’d have nothing to worry about from the werewolf. The only thing scarier than Rin was the prospect of losing his soul to her. She left him beside the car and ventured into the club, her nerves raw and on edge. Her stomach growled, and she placed her palm on the flat plane of her abs. She hadn’t eaten for a few hours and she was gods-damned ravenous. She bet Saeed wouldn’t want her anymore after he got a glimpse at her monthly food bill.
As she ventured deeper into the club, Cerys tried to push his words to the back of her mind. Rin sat in the VIP section at his usual table, a throng of admirers surrounding him. Didn’t he ever get sick of it? His need for attention and admiration rivaled her need for food. She spotted Saeed beside Rin and though his posture remained relaxed, his expression was wary. His eyes found hers and he continued to watch her as she negotiated the crowds on her way to the VIP section.
Cerys snagged a server before she sat down. “Can I get a cheeseburger and fries, and an order of onion rings? Oh,” she added. “And a shot of Cazadores Extra Añejo.” The top shelf tequila wasn’t going to do much good, but she could pretend.
Rin cut her a look as she sat down. “Fries and onion rings?”
She refused to let him goad her. Rin loved to push buttons. “If you served anything other than fast food here I’d order something else,” she replied.
“Not high-class enough for you?” Rin laughed.
Cerys’s lips pursed. “If I was human, I’d be on my way to open heart surgery from eating your greasy burgers and fries over the years.”
He smirked. “Lucky for you you’re not human.”
Her brow arched as she stared him down. “Lucky for us both, donchya think?”
She’d said she wasn’t going to play his game, but here she was, volleying quips. Tension thickened the air and for a second Cerys worried Rin might punish her. It had been a long damned time since she’d done anything to piss him off and it might not be such a good idea to revert back to bad habits.
“Indeed it is,” Rin said after a quiet moment. Cerys let out a slow breath and he added, “But I have to say you got the shittier end of the deal.”
The barb bit into her heart with razor-sharp teeth. He knew how to cut her without a blade, and she almost wished he would’ve cut her. At least a physical wound would heal. She didn’t think she’d ever recover from the emotional damage Rin had inflicted upon her.